TCRP Web-Only Document 53 presents the findings and results of the investigation conducted in support of TCRP Project A-32, “Operation of Light Rail Transit through Ungated Crossings at Speeds over 35 MPH.” In addition, this report presents the findings of the micro-simulation modelling conducted as an alternative to an evaluation of the impacts of higher LRV speeds on selected locations in San Jose. The project panel agreed that the modelling was a feasible and valid alternative to a field test, necessitated by the City of San Jose’s decision to not participate in a field test. In addition, other municipalities/systems that were contacted to participate were not able to do so during the project schedule. TCRP Web-Only Document 53is organized as follows: * Chapter 2: Identification of Participating LRT Agency and Potential Study Crossings; * Chapter 3: Assessment of the Operational and Safety Aspects of Existing, Alternative, and Possible Supplemental Traffic Control Devices; * Chapter 4: Modelling/Simulation of Light Rail Operating Conditions: North First Street from East Brokaw Road to Trimble Road; * Chapter 5: Risk Analysis; * Appendix A: Summary of Crash Data at the Intersections of North First Street and Brokaw Road, Charcot Avenue, and Trimble Road; * Appendix B: VTA Draft Letter to FHWA Requesting Permission to Experiment with an Increase in LRV Speeds to 40 MPH through Three Ungated Crossings; * Appendix C: Conflict Data (a tabular presentation of the micro-simulation results); * Appendix D: Testing Plan (developed initially for the test in San Jose, but could be used as a test plan template if another municipality decides to participate in the future); and * Appendix E: Evaluation Plan. Chapter 2 provides a summary of interviews conducted with four transit agencies operating LRT, lists the primary criteria used to select a corridor with crossings suitable for study under the TCRP A-32 project, presents characteristics of the candidate study corridor resulting from the interviews, and recommends three crossings along the North First St. corridor in San Jose, CA, as test sites for the demonstration project. Chapter 3 provides an in-depth look at the recommended test sites along North First St. in San Jose. Existing data, including crossing geometry, traffic volumes, pedestrian and bicycle volumes, LRT operational data, historical crash and near-miss data, and traffic signal timings, are summarized. In addition, the results of focus groups conducted with 30 local San Jose drivers regarding their comprehension and perceptions of a variety of different traffic control devices are presented. Finally, recommended traffic control devices, along with preliminary cost estimates of the devices, are presented. Chapter 4 describes the methodology and results of the micro-simulation study. The objective of this study was to develop a micro-simulation model for the Light Rail corridor on North Frist St. from East Brokaw Road to Trimble Road in San Jose, California in order to analyse the simulated intersection safety under existing and suggested conditions (increasing LRV operating speed from 35 mph to 45 mph). Chapter 5 presents the risk analysis conducted for the TCRP A-32 project. The risk analysis considers the probability that a crash (or crashes) will occur during the testing period, the types of crashes that are likely to occur, and the severity of the crashes. The analysis is a frequency-based analysis of historical safety-related data and recent observations of behaviours at the study intersections. The analysis considers the changes that will take place during the testing period and their potential future impacts on crash rates and severity. Supporting documentation for the project can be found in the appendices at the end of the report. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting